Rose Purity

'Purity’ is a graceful English rose cherished for both garden beauty and cut-flower elegance. Her creamy-white blooms open from compact buds into large, softly ruffled flowers with a gentle, informal charm. At the heart, a delicate blush of pale apricot and peach adds depth and quiet sophistication. With around 60 petals and a rich, intoxicating scent reminiscent of Turkish delight and rosewater, she delights the senses. Her transformation from bud to bloom in just two days makes every stage a joy to behold.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Purity' is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the The Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society (2001), except where common terms of color definition are employed. Phenotypic expression may vary with environmental, cultural and climatic conditions, as well as differences in conditions of light and soil.

FLOWERING

This rose variety has a continuous flowering habit, this rose variety is suitable for cut flower production under greenhouse conditions. In greenhouse conditions, it is able to bloom all year round. The number of blooms per plant during the growing season is profuse, but there are too many to count.

Flower bud:

The flower buds of 'Purity' rose variety are medium sized, about 2 cm long and 1.8 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is pointed ovoid. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is light yellow green (Group 1C). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are medium yellow green (Group 1B) and the lower sides of the petals are white (Group 155B).

Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back, the length is about 7.0 cm and the diameter is 7.0 cm.

The sepals have a length of about 3 cm and a width of 1 cm. The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is downy on the upper surface and smooth on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is medium brown green (Group 138B) and on the lower surface is medium green (Group 143A). There are 3 normally appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacle is medium green (Group 143A), funnel shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is small, about 0.9 cm long and about 0.9 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium, averaging to about 15 cm in length, of a normal strength and has a smooth, with occasional prickles, surface. The colour of the peduncle is medium green (Group 143A) with brown red (Group 181B).

Bloom:

The flowers are large, the average diameter of the open flower is about 11 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped, the flower form persists until the end and the outer petals curl back. Flowers are full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 60. They are born several together in the natural state clusters of 2-5 blooms. The flowering stem has normal strength, long, and has an average length of about 75 cm with a diameter of about 5 to 6 mm.

When first open the colour of the upper sides and the reverse sides of the petals is white (Group 155C) and the base of the petals has a large yellow basal spot of light yellow (Group 2D). Under normal growing conditions the variegation is not observed on the flowers of this rose variety.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is white (Group 155C), at the end of the third day the general tonality does not change, remaining white (Group 155C).

Petals:

The texture and the surface of the petals is smooth; the shape of the petals is obovate, the margins are mostly entire, with some having incisions. The apex is rounded and the base of the petals is cuspidate, and the petals form is slightly incurved. Average length of the petals is about 4.5 cm and the width is about 3 - 4 cm. The arrangement of the petals is informal.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, 10-12 on average. Petaloids have white colour (Group 155C), they are about 1.5 - 2.5 cm long and 1 cm wide. Petaloids have obovate shape and the entire margins.

The petals of this rose normally hang on and dry, therefore deadheading of the faded flowers is required. Under normal climate conditions the petals last long, on the plant they last for about 11 days, and as a cut flower their lastingness is also about 11 days.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Purity' is moderate, of a Musk character, reminiscent of Turkish delight and rosewater.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 4 - 6 on average per flower, the length is about 10 mm, they are regularly arranged around styles with some mixed with petaloids.

The anthers have a length of about 2 - 2.5 mm and dark yellow orange colour (Group 22A).

The colour of the filaments is medium yellow green (Group 154C), their length is 9 mm on average.

The pollen is dark yellow orange (Group 22A).

The number of pistils is 40 on average, they are about 10 - 15 mm long.

The colour of the styles is light green (Group 157A) and they are about 8 - 14 mm long.

Stigma are about 1 - 1.5 mm long and are light green (Group 157A).

The hips of this rose variety have not been observed yet.

PLANT

The rose variety 'Purity' is classified as a Shrub rose and is a part of David Austin’s Wedding and Event Roses collection. The growth character is moderately vigorous, narrow and upright. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 100 cm and the width of about 50 cm.

Foliage:

There is a normal quantity of the foliage on the plants of this rose variety. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves is typically 5, including the terminal leaflet. The average flowering stem has about 10 leaves. The foliage is large, about 17 cm long and about 15 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 146A) with dark brown purple (Group 183B) while the lower side is dark brown purple (Group 183B). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 137A) and on the lower side is medium brown green (Group 138A).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is large, they are about 7 cm long and are about 5 cm wide. The shape of the leaflets is pointed oval, the shape of the leaflet tip is acuminate and the base shape is cordate. The surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, matt. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and large.

The petiole has medium green colour (Group 143C), is about 5 cm long and 2 mm in diameter, and has a glandular surface texture.

The petiole rachis is medium green (Group 143C) and has prickles on the underside.

The auricle is lanceolate, has a length of about 0.8 cm and about 2 mm wide. The colour of the auricle is medium green (Group 143C).

The stipules are 2.5 cm long, have glandular surface and medium green colour (Group 143C).

The veins have dark green (Group 137A), the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has medium green colour (Group 143C), the bark is smooth. The mature wood has medium green colour (Group 143C), the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The mature stem has an average length of about 75 cm and the diameter of 7 mm, the internode distance is 8-9 cm. The stem pubescence is not observed on the stems of this rose variety. The above measurements are all variable, depending on growing conditions in a season.

Prickles:

There are few prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes, about 8 per 20 cm of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is deep concave, the length is about 5 mm. The colour of the young prickles is dark brown purple (Group 183B) while the mature prickles have dark brown purple colour (Group 183A).

Small prickles:

There are no small prickles observed on the main canes as well as on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Purity' is disease resistant, particularly to mildew, blackspot and rust in greenhouse conditions, with on average day temperature maintained at 17.5 degrees C. In the garden conditions it is somewhat susceptible to black spot and mildew. The pest resistance has not been tested yet.

Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 7 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Unfortunately we do not have information about the origin of the name of this rose.

Wedding and Event Roses collection

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausoblige’ / 'Purity' originated by David Austin by crossing an unnamed, unpatented seedling with an unnamed, unpatented seedling of class Rosa hybrida.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety suitable for cut-flower production with large white/creamy double blooms with around 60 petals forming a loose ruffled rosette shaped bloom.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY
The objective was achieved, along with other important improvements, and this rose variety incorporated the following unique combination of characteristics:

 white/creamy blooms;

 with around 60 petals;

  leathery, matt green leaves.

Asexual reproduction of this variety by budding showed that the foregoing and all other characteristics and distinctions came true to form, established and transmitted through the succeeding propagations.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

The ‘Ausoblige’ / ‘Purity’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 the seed parent has a pink coloring and fewer petals than the flowers of ‘Ausoblige’ / ‘Purity’.

The ‘Ausoblige’ / ‘Purity’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent by the following combination of characteristics:

 The pollen parent has also a pink color of the flowers while the flowers of ‘Ausoblige’ / ‘Purity’ are white.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar rose cultivar to the rose ‘Ausoblige’ / ‘Purity’ is the English florists rose variety ‘Auspastor’ / ‘Patience’ and they may be distinguished from by the following combination of characteristics:

 the ‘Ausoblige’ / ‘Purity’ may be distinguished by the size of the blooms, which are smaller (˜8-9 cm), and have many more petals (˜160) on the rose variety ‘Auspastor’ / ‘Patience’.

USDA 7